Although Hunter says he lives full time at a Daytona Beach address, he has been claiming a homestead exemption on the Ormond Beach property for years.

A homestead exemption gives a landowner a break from paying taxes on the first $25,000 of assessed value of a property.

Gilreath contends a homestead exemption may only be claimed for a landowner's primary residence. Hunter, who wasn't available for comment Friday, has said in earlier interviews that the exemption can be applied to any property a person owns.

Gilreath began investigating Hunter's homestead arrangement after fielding questions from The Orlando Sentinel last month. Gilreath said he would file a tax lien against Hunter unless the matter was resolved before the 30-day deadline.

That lien might not happen for several more days, however, because Gilreath and Robert Bolin, his chief deputy, will be out of the office next week to attend a seminar.

Acting on a complaint filed by one of Hunter's political opponents, the State Attorney's Office for Volusia County has been investigating Hunter's residency status.

Bob Jones, who filed the complaint, approached the situation from a different tack: Jones said the Ormond Beach address should be considered Hunter's legal residence.

Hunter is registered to vote at an address in his Zone 3 district, which Jones considers to be a fraudulent act.

The investigator handling Jones' complaint for the State Attorney's Office couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

Hunter, who has served on the commission for six years, will face first-time office seeker Steven Stewart in a Sept. 30 runoff election for the Zone 3 seat.

Hunter was the top vote-getter in a Sept. 2 primary, winning about 48 percent of the vote and eliminating Jones from contention.